If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

There is literally nothing about any of these tropes that is oppressive to anyone..

@ the PS part: Why does it matter if they are balanced? Space sims and FPS games aren't in balance either, who gives a shit?

Different kinds of balance. Your argument is a fallacious non-sequitur. You examples don't hand out different kinds of enjoyment based on how well you align with gender dynamics around which much oppression occurs. They hand out enjoyment based on whether or not your prefer running around shooting dudes or flying around shooting dudes in a detailed manner. Very different kinds of balance.

Are you familiar with the concept of a micro-aggression and why it's a problem? I really don't mean to patronize if you do; perhaps you simply feel that these tropes make a poor example but they seem like a case study in problematic micro-aggression to me so perhaps clarifying my unnecessary jargon is a good place to start. If you're familiar with the concept and why it's a problem, what is it about gender-specific tropes that escapes from the same scrutiny?

I think of [the Internet] as a grisly raw steak laid out on a porcelain benchtop in the sun, covered in chocolate hazelnut sauce. In the background plays Stardustís Music Sounds Better With You. Thereís lots of fog. --tomeoftom

"Quantacat's name is still recognised even if he watches on with detached eyes like Peter Molyneux over a cube in 3D space, staring at it with tears in his eyes, softly whispering... Someday they'll get it."

What are you referring to? How far back was it? I hunted around and couldn't find it.

I think of [the Internet] as a grisly raw steak laid out on a porcelain benchtop in the sun, covered in chocolate hazelnut sauce. In the background plays Stardustís Music Sounds Better With You. Thereís lots of fog. --tomeoftom

I... cant remember what page it was on, but it could have been 20ish. or was it 30? its probably quicker to look through my post history o_O

Originally Posted by QuantaCat

note to everyone: be a tad more excellent.

Note to people saying that its not natural: porn, sex trade, prostitution: I think for every one of those: if there is no consent, its wrong, no matter what it is. Porn is a tricky one, because it says it consents, but the background sometimes/mostly (depending on the region where it comes from, Russia for example is very low on consent and the US has problems in that direction too) is very consent-less.

Prostitution is, again, very high on the consentless indicator. Much higher than porn. And so on.

Whenever you see someone talk about rape culture and that it's being perpetuated, this means:
it is a structure of not needing consent to do whatever. (usually sexual) This does not mean you're all sex crazy, humping everything that moves. This means that the general consensus, even if you do not subscribe to it (or have it imprinted into your subconscious) is that consent is not necessary.

This has been going on for thousands of years, and it's been improving, slowly, but it takes thought to see through all this crap, and thought I will spend on it.

"Quantacat's name is still recognised even if he watches on with detached eyes like Peter Molyneux over a cube in 3D space, staring at it with tears in his eyes, softly whispering... Someday they'll get it."

I thought that hypothesis was interesting: the general consent-less, take-whatever-I-want attitude in sexual entertainment could possibly feed into the general 'rape culture' mentality. I think breast physics probably helps too.

That 'there's no variety because there's no demand' argument is flawed. The market is far from saturated yet, as the majority of the human population aren't gamers, yet. That's where the demand lies. This is a good time to claim market share by doing something different, because the same ol' same sure won't be enough to entice the hugely untapped market. And I'm not even talking about equality here, it's just pure business and cold, hard profits.

You know, recently I took a step back and looked at this from a wider perspective. I don't really find a great deal of fault with the tenets of what Sarkeesian is shooting for, although admittedly I find her abrasive, self-contradictory and occasionally hypocritical. Perhaps also I looked at certain things like Ivy Valentine's outfits in SC or just about anything Bayonetta does and expected a certain amount of suspension of disbelief would be applied. Maybe a bad assumption on my part, but I know it was the whole kickstarter windfall that got me truly incensed. So chalk up my misgivings to retarded envy but it's hardly an inhuman emotion for someone who's living an impoverished lifestyle to take issue at someone they perceive to be getting a king's ransom for free. I'm not excusing this behavior in myself, I am simply explaining the motivations.

What woke me up is looking at the people I had found myself allied with in my disdain for her. The kind of sexist, racist, malevolent hivemind of miscreants that have been mercilessly bullying and abusing me for the better portion of my existence. When you find yourself on the same side as the scum and villainy who populate the dens of iniquity and wretched hives through cyberspace and meatspace as well...It's time to rethink one's position.

I guess you can say I have softened my stance on her. Though I withhold the right to point out when her arguments become silly, such as pink legos.

What woke me up is looking at the people I had found myself allied with in my disdain for her. The kind of sexist, racist, malevolent hivemind of miscreants that have been mercilessly bullying and abusing me for the better portion of my existence. When you find yourself on the same side as the scum and villainy who populate the dens of iniquity and wretched hives through cyberspace and meatspace as well...It's time to rethink one's position.